Providing fullness and volume to hair is a major benefit which can be provided by hair care compositions. This is particularly important for people having thin flat hair. This benefit makes the hair look healthy and allows the consumer to have a broader range of hair styles.
Generally, volumizing benefits are provided through the use of leave-on products (i.e., products which are applied to the hair and which are not rinsed off). Current hair volumizing products impart short-lived changes to the hair as a result of a relatively low level of styling polymer deposition. These products impart a film that washes out of the hair upon the next shampooing. These leave-on products, however, can result in the build-up of undesirable materials on the hair between washings.
The present invention is a rinse-off product which provides a hair volumizing benefit over an extended period of time even after the hair is shampooed several times. The present invention is a rinse-off product which is a new way to deliver hair volumizing benefits. The invention is unique in that it creates a film on the hair that not only provides an improved volume styling benefit, but is more substantive and longer lasting due to increased polymeric bonding at the hair surface in a low pH environment. This is accomplished using a combination of one or more linear hairstyling polymers of high polarity, together with a polycationic polymer in a low pH environment which, when included in a rinse-off hair treatment product, can result in the deposition of a substantive polymer film on the hair when delivered via a cationic lotion, gel or cream product. During styling, the polymer film allows networks of crosspoints to form between hair fibers; these crosspoints support, lift and separate the hair providing more body and volume.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2007/0110695, Hoffmann and Foerster (Kao Professional Salon Services), published May 17, 2007, relates to aqueous conditioning compositions for hair which are said to provide long-lasting conditioning effects even after several hair washes. The defined conditioning compositions comprise at least one polydimethylsiloxane having a viscosity of no greater than 350 mm2/S at a concentration of 12.5% by weight, together with from 0.2-5% by weight of polyquaternium 37.